Fred Craddock, a professor of the course “Preaching and New Testament” at Emory University tells a story about a young pastor who goes to pray with an older woman. She’s near death; she’s in the hospital lying on the pillow, gasping for breath. He visits with her, and then he says, “I need to go, but would you like to have prayer before I go?”

The woman says, “Yes.”

He says, “Well, what would you like us to pray for today?”

And she says, “I’d like to pray I’d be healed, of course.”

The young pastor gasps, but goes on, “Lord, we pray for your sustaining presence with this sick sister. And if it be thy will, we pray that she will be restored to health and to service. But if it’s not thy will, we certainly hope that she will adjust to her circumstances.”

Suddenly the old woman opens her eyes and sits up in bed. She throws her feet over the side of the bed. She stands up. She says, “I think I’m healed!” And she strides out the door. The last thing the pastor sees, she’s striding down the hall toward the nurses’ station, saying “Look! Look at me!”

The pastor goes down the steps, goes out to the parking lot. Before he opens the door of his car, he looks up to God and says, “Don’t you ever do that to me again!”

Really, God wants to answer us!! What do you want God to do for you?   Sounds selfish, doesn’t it?  I mean haven’t we heard over and over that God is not our butler, not our errand boy. No sir, were not going to be that kind of selfish Christian.  We know ought to be serving the Lord even if we still complain when the pastor wants to take an offering for missions or God forbid-a new building!

I spent many of my early years as a Christian believing that anything I wanted from God must be selfish.  And that really noble and holy people just don’t do that.

But the truth is we would have to dismiss much of the gospels if that is true.  People were always asking Jesus for things, and he was never put out with it.  There is not even a hint that it is kind of unspiritual, carnal, or egotistical.

God really wants to help us do what is impossible for us to accomplish without Him.  It sounds so dignified to say, “Oh, I don’t ask God for anything, except to help those people in Africa.”  Well, what about the goals and purposes that you have?  They are important to God, too. Sometimes Jesus would even have to prompt men to ask for what they wanted and needed.

Matthew 20:30-33 (NIV) Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”  It would seem obvious what they needed, but Jesus asked them what they WANTED.   He then gave them exactly what they asked for.

Jesus even challenged his close disciples to ask for things.   When they wanted something that was not quite right, He did not correct them for wanting and asking for it.  He just corrected them for WHAT they wanted.

Mark 10:35-38 (NIV)Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

Don’t be afraid to ask the Lord for things.  If somehow in God’s sovereign will it is out of line, He will let you know. If you ask wrongly, He will correct you.  Just ask!